My legs moved step by step, as quickly as they can. A loud engine roars in the background as it chases after me. The engine dies down to a muffled murmur. I start to slow down to a brisk walk.
It was a cold breeze, the maize swaying in the wind down both sides of me. The engine started to get louder and louder, until the farm ute was in sight. Closer and closer it came, until I could feel the hot air running down my spine. Suddenly I start to feel the bumper push me along, until I come to a tiring stop. I fall to the ground. Two men hop out of the ute, one with a rope and one with a machete. Everything goes blurry and then black.
I wake up on the back of the ute with my arms and legs tied up. Breathing in then out, dust from the ute creeps up my nose and causes me to sneeze. My body rolls around on the wooden planks in the back. The ute comes to a slow stop. The two men open up their doors and approach the back. They undo the latches and pull down the tail gate, their hands grip my legs and pull me onto the ground.
Rain drops onto my face, one by one, one by one, until the rain starts pouring down. One of the men gripped my top, then dragged me through the mud to an old shack that has no windows, only one door and a chimney. The man opens up the locks, one at a time. I hear the door creak open. The man with the machete grabs my collar and then throws me into the small shack. He follows me into the shack and pulls out the machete. Once, then twice the blade is swung at the ropes tied around my legs. My hands come free as the men untie them. I feel my blistered ankles in pain. I hear the door clunk, as it is closed and locked. When standing up, my feet throb.
I hear a whispering voice, saying “Come here.” I walk around, scanning the area, trying to find where the voice is coming from. I squint my eyes to find a hole in the rotten planks. “I am here to help you, I’m working for the Underground Railroad.” “Can you help me get out of here?” “Yes, but not now, they’re coming. I’ll see you in the morning at the crack of dawn and that’s when we will make a plan for your escape.”
I sit back down where I was sitting before and continue rubbing my ankles and hands. Suddenly a big thump comes from the door, as the man undoes the locks. He opens it up and yells at me. “Hoy, who were you talking to because if you don’t tell me, I will crack the whip on your back.”
Another man walks in. “I’ll give you ten seconds to tell me who you were talking to, or you will get the whip.” I was silent, not even “no” came out of my mouth. The man with the whip said “Times up. Are you going to talk, or what?” “No” I said quickly and the other man approached me and grabbed my knotted hair and shoved my head into the cold ground. The man with the whip ripped open my top and started to whip my back, one after the other, until they gave up and walked out of the shack. I rubbed my back as it throbbed, one beat after the other. I lay down and dozed off to sleep.
As the sun started to rise, I heard a whispering voice coming from the crack in the planks of wood. “It’s me, from the Underground Railroad. I’m here to break you out and get you to the free country. Do you see that pipe?” “Yeah” I said. “To the right of that is a wooden board. Kick it.”
I stood up and looked at the board, then fired my foot at the rotten plank. The board snapped in half and I gave it two more kicks, one for the bottom and one for the top. I stepped through to the grass. The grass wrapped around my toes. I felt relieved to be in the fresh air.
Suddenly I heard a man behind me yelling “Come back here.” I heard another voice coming from the maize. I sprinted down to the maize. While running to the maize I could feel the mud slide through my toes. I thrust my hands out and pushed the maize out of my way. I followed the tracks from the Underground Railroad worker. I stopped. No tracks, only to find a dead end. I feel a tug on my shirt. I turned to find a man with whiskers, grey eyes and grey hair. His gruff voice says “Shhhhhh” with one finger on his lips. “Follow me” he says. We slowly walked through the maize. “I think we lost them” I whispered to him.
Eventually we get to a river that has a canoe on the side of the bank. We climbed down the bank and heave the canoe into the shallow water. I clamber into the boat, followed by the Underground Railroad worker. We slowly drifted down the river. “Excuse me Mr, might I ask, what’s your name?” “My name doesn’t matter to you. I’m just here to help people like you.”
I kicked back my feet and have a snooze. His hoarse voice wakes me up. “We are here …”
This is my story, Have a read.
FREE
My legs moved step by step, as quickly as they can. A loud engine roars in the background as it chases after me. The engine dies down to a muffled murmur. I start to slow down to a brisk walk.
It was a cold breeze, the maize swaying in the wind down both sides of me. The engine started to get louder and louder, until the farm ute was in sight. Closer and closer it came, until I could feel the hot air running down my spine. Suddenly I start to feel the bumper push me along, until I come to a tiring stop. I fall to the ground. Two men hop out of the ute, one with a rope and one with a machete. Everything goes blurry and then black.
I wake up on the back of the ute with my arms and legs tied up. Breathing in then out, dust from the ute creeps up my nose and causes me to sneeze. My body rolls around on the wooden planks in the back. The ute comes to a slow stop. The two men open up their doors and approach the back. They undo the latches and pull down the tail gate, their hands grip my legs and pull me onto the ground.
Rain drops onto my face, one by one, one by one, until the rain starts pouring down. One of the men gripped my top, then dragged me through the mud to an old shack that has no windows, only one door and a chimney. The man opens up the locks, one at a time. I hear the door creak open. The man with the machete grabs my collar and then throws me into the small shack. He follows me into the shack and pulls out the machete. Once, then twice the blade is swung at the ropes tied around my legs. My hands come free as the men untie them. I feel my blistered ankles in pain. I hear the door clunk, as it is closed and locked. When standing up, my feet throb.
I hear a whispering voice, saying “Come here.” I walk around, scanning the area, trying to find where the voice is coming from. I squint my eyes to find a hole in the rotten planks. “I am here to help you, I’m working for the Underground Railroad.” “Can you help me get out of here?” “Yes, but not now, they’re coming. I’ll see you in the morning at the crack of dawn and that’s when we will make a plan for your escape.”
I sit back down where I was sitting before and continue rubbing my ankles and hands. Suddenly a big thump comes from the door, as the man undoes the locks. He opens it up and yells at me. “Hoy, who were you talking to because if you don’t tell me, I will crack the whip on your back.”
Another man walks in. “I’ll give you ten seconds to tell me who you were talking to, or you will get the whip.” I was silent, not even “no” came out of my mouth. The man with the whip said “Times up. Are you going to talk, or what?” “No” I said quickly and the other man approached me and grabbed my knotted hair and shoved my head into the cold ground. The man with the whip ripped open my top and started to whip my back, one after the other, until they gave up and walked out of the shack. I rubbed my back as it throbbed, one beat after the other. I lay down and dozed off to sleep.
As the sun started to rise, I heard a whispering voice coming from the crack in the planks of wood. “It’s me, from the Underground Railroad. I’m here to break you out and get you to the free country. Do you see that pipe?” “Yeah” I said. “To the right of that is a wooden board. Kick it.”
I stood up and looked at the board, then fired my foot at the rotten plank. The board snapped in half and I gave it two more kicks, one for the bottom and one for the top. I stepped through to the grass. The grass wrapped around my toes. I felt relieved to be in the fresh air.
Suddenly I heard a man behind me yelling “Come back here.” I heard another voice coming from the maize. I sprinted down to the maize. While running to the maize I could feel the mud slide through my toes. I thrust my hands out and pushed the maize out of my way. I followed the tracks from the Underground Railroad worker. I stopped. No tracks, only to find a dead end. I feel a tug on my shirt. I turned to find a man with whiskers, grey eyes and grey hair. His gruff voice says “Shhhhhh” with one finger on his lips. “Follow me” he says. We slowly walked through the maize. “I think we lost them” I whispered to him.
Eventually we get to a river that has a canoe on the side of the bank. We climbed down the bank and heave the canoe into the shallow water. I clamber into the boat, followed by the Underground Railroad worker. We slowly drifted down the river. “Excuse me Mr, might I ask, what’s your name?” “My name doesn’t matter to you. I’m just here to help people like you.”
I kicked back my feet and have a snooze. His hoarse voice wakes me up. “We are here …”
By Nicholas Simmons
Year 8
17.7.10
Great descriptive writing Nick! From Beth.